Rebels of the Fallen

by AuthorA97

Rose is gone. It's just Terra and the Doctor now. That was when Martha became involved. Sweet Martha... There are these signs, about Saxon. She's seeing her a girl in a blue following them. How can Terra keep it straight in her head? (Part 3 of Fallen Star Series)

12. Blink

The three of us unceremoniously landed on our behinds in 1969.

I was the first up, shaking off the added gravel and dirt. My skirt was a little ruffled, so I brushed it down. The groans and grunts of Martha and the Doctor rising up made me turn my attention to them.

I walked up to Martha's side. She flailed a bit, so I held her arm. "Are you okie dokie?"

Martha took a deep breath, standing firmly on the ground. She paused to make sure it stuck. "Yeah, think so."

"Son!" I called out.

A beat.

"Rebel!?" I called out again.

Rebel barked.

"Thatta boy!" The dog ran to my side. That was a relief. For a moment, I thought that my boy had been stuck in modern times. That would've been a tragedy. My new face, committing genocide on Weeping Angels. Nobody wants to see that.

I mean I kinda wanna see it now

But thanks to Angels in Manhattan I know what happens you when hurt them and leave survivors

So I best not strike until I know I can kill them off

"Time travel without a capsule is a wild ride." The Doctor groaned as he got up, leaning against a brick wall. He looked at us. "Are you two alright?"

We nodded.

"Turn around-" I reminded him.

The Doctor gave me a strong look to shut up. "I know."

"Every now and then I get a little bit lonely-"

"I said I know. You told me to turn around. I didn't listen." The Doctor replied.

"Someday you'll come around." I reached up, patting his head. The Doctor moved his head to avoid my hand ruining his hair.

"Where are we?" Martha asked. "Weren't we just at that house?"

"Then we were moved." I reported to her. "By the Angels."

"'Angels'?" Martha repeated. "You mean, that angel statue thing? That moved us here? Where is here?"

"Same place we left." I informed her. "Just earlier."

Martha gave me a look saying my answers weren't very helpful. I tilted my head, wondering what I could do to make them better.

"A lot earlier. 1969, by my estimate." The Doctor answered. He looked around, searching for something with a concerned expression.

"How did we get here?" Martha asked, confused. "We didn't take the TARDIS!"

"There are many roads back home." I told her.

Martha looked at me in confusion.

The Doctor stepped in. "There are lots of other ways of time travel. If I had to guess." The Doctor pulled out the sonic, scanning the area around us. He checked the results. "Yeah...it's-"

"Are you looking for Angels, sir?" I wondered.

"Yes." The Doctor answered.

"Golly gee, sir, that sounds dangerous, sir."

The Doctor gave me a scolding look- one that was almost ruined by his smug smirk. "I don't need your sass."

I tilted my head. "Sass, sir? I didn't know I was giving sass, sir."

"Yes you did. You always know when you give sass." The Doctor countered.

"Me thinks this new one does not know, sir." I joked.

The Doctor looked confused for a minute- no doubt wondering if I was serious or not. I decided to answer him the only way I knew how.

"I'm hungry now. We should leave."

Rebel barked in agreement.

"Can we go find food?" I asked.

The Doctor nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line. His eyes were crinkled with delight though. He was beginning to like me.

That was something.

Terra Two was worried he'd never like me because that's what he'd said. She was always so anxious. Never wanting to say the things that might scare him away. So desperate to be liked by someone- anyone. She didn't even know if she wanted the Doctor to like me. She wanted to be gone because she didn't want to die.

Such a lovely conundrum.

But I'm hungry now.

"Feel like apple pie?" The Doctor offered, eye crinkling again.

I tilted my head, thinking.

Two had lived apple pie. Even if it got her mistaken for a goddess by lesser beings.

I shook my head. "That sounds weird."

I don't really think much about that apple taste

Taste is weird

Isn't it weird that I've had so many tongues but can't really define an apple taste

Whoa...Three gets philosophical.

"I'm still hungry."

"Right." The Doctor clapped a hand inspired my shoulder. "Best get the goddess fed-"

"Not a goddess!" Reaching for my shoulder, I wrenched his hand off.

The Doctor laughed. "Ah. That hasn't changed, then."

Well duh

I'm still me

I just have different ways of showing it now

Rebel bumped his nose against my leg. Reaching down, I scratched behind his ear. He licked at my fingers.

All three of us started walking from the house. I skipped the way, Rebel excitedly running around my legs. The Doctor was explaining to Martha what it seemed like happened. How we had been displaced in time as rumors suggested, how we'd been moved in time but not space which confused him at first.

I was only half listening.

My stomach was talking louder than him.

If I don't like apple pie...what else is there? I mean...I liked a lot of other stuff. Hypervodka was a favorite...and like...I think peaches too...and greasy food.

Oh I could go for a pizza.

Did I like pizza?

Pfft, it's me. I love pizza. Any face, any place.

But what else am I craving?

Hmm...

We ended up in a town before long. London in the late 1960's. It made my head spin but in a funny way. The sort of spinning you get from spinning too fast in the TeaCup Ride because you let your younger brother spin the wheel, not knowing you were related to a sadist until the ride stopped and you couldn't walk straight for two hours-and I fell in a puddle in front of my favorite princess, you son of a bitch-

My bad, off-topic.

The point was it was weird but I was coping with it.

Rebel was helping. His running around my legs kept my hyper aware at all times where he was in relation to my steps. If I focused on him, it was easy to adapt to the new time zone.

That being said, it was only logical that this is when things would get weird.

A haunting melody began to play, from somewhere down the road. Rebel turned to it, his mental waves whining in confusion.

"What is it, boy?" I knelt down to his side. The Doctor and Martha were still walking around, acting as though they were chickens missing heads rather than experienced time travelers. "Is it the music?"

'Yes' Rebel replied. 'There's...there's something wrong with it. But...but it's so pretty.'

The song continued playing, the beats joining with a woman's voice. It brought up feelings of darkness, of a past lived that did not deserve the light again. It was...it was horrifying and scary and under the 'must avoid at all costs' soundtrack in my iTunes library.

But I remembered it. This song...it wasn't my own head just remembering music. Not even I could make it sound so realistic- I had tried inventing an interior radio but...well it wasn't safe for human use. This was something stronger...a stronger compelling force that only existed to make people sing and dance in synchronized dances that they couldn't possibly have rehearsed beforehand.

In short: something not possible for Doctor Who

Something that was definitely brought from somewhere outside of it.

So of course, I had to walk towards it.

At the first step, words started too.

Hush child

Darkness will rise from the deep and-

Carry you down to sleep.

My steps were a bit disjointed. Some force was guiding them, intune with the song. Rebel heard it also. His own paws were walking alongside mine.

"Terra?"

The song paused- as sharp and quick as if they had a record player. Seriously? They had a record player back there? They pressed this onto vinyl? I turned back. The Doctor was right where I'd left him, looking ever so confused. The only difference was that I was placed further ahead.

"What are you doing?"

"What did it look like I was doing?" I prompted, curious for what it must look like from the other side.

"Walking in a random direction." The Doctor answered. "We can't do that. We need to find out where the Angels are. They could've follow-"

The music started up again. It was louder than before. If music did indeed have feelings, this song was offended that we had cut it off moments before. How rude of us...ignoring such a lovely song.

Child

Darkness will rise from the deep and

Carry you down to sleep...

"Can't you hear it?" I turned my head towards it, starting up the walk again.

"Terra!"

The song cut off again. This time- feeling it leave hurt. Truly hurt something deep in my chest. Going without it...such a bad idea. Such a foolish idea to not follow that song.

"What?!"

'Mama. What is the song?'

"I don't know, Rebel!" I answered, brushing my hand over my face. "Doctor would you stop shouting?! It's distracting from the music!"

"Music?" The Doctor repeated.

"I don't hear any music." Martha pointed out. "It's like a ghost town."

"Well of course you can't hear it now! The Doctor shouted and it stopped playing." I told her. "It doesn't like being interrupted...I think."

"There wasn't any music before." The Doctor explained. "It's been silent."

Rebel whined. He bumped his head against my leg, curling around them to hide. My hand reached down to scratch his head. 'There, boy, there-there, it's okie-dokie.'

"Terra." The Doctor prompted. He took a cautious step towards me. "What are you hearing? Describe it to me."

Guileless son, I'll shape your belief.

And you'll always know that your father's a thief,

"Such pretty music..." I praised, walking towards the source again. "How can you not hear it? It's so loud and...and we can't ignore it." Rebel yipped in agreement.

And you won't understand the cause of your grief

But you'll always follow the voices beneath.

"Imma follow it."

"Terra-"

Before he could give a token protest, I dashed off towards the population. The music leading me along like the chorus line of a Broadway play.

==ROTF==

The song was long.

And like all good songs, it kept playing over and over. I doubt I would get tired of it anytime soon. It sounded really good, how could I ignore it? Rebel loved it too, which showed he had good taste.

The Doctor and Martha were chasing behind us. This new body was fast, even faster than Terra Two. There was no reason to slow down for them if we were all going the same way. They'd either catch up or be behind.

Guileless son, your spirit will hate her

The flower who married my brother the traitor

You will expose his puppeteer behavior

For you are the proof of how he betrayed her loyalty

I danced on the sidewalk. Spinning and twirling to the lyrics, the skirt flaring with the turns, my hair flying. Rebel was just trying to keep pace. The closest he got to dancing was hopping.

The Doctor and Martha did not dance.

Mira los tomates. (Look at the tomatoes.)

¿No están tristes? (Aren't they sad?)

Ellos no pueden bailar. (They can't dance)

¡Pobre tomates! (Poor tomatoes!)

Desearían poder bailar como el pepino (They wish they could dance like the cucumber)

Libre y suavemente. (Free and smooth)

Pero ellos no puede danzar. (But they can't dance)

They can only run.

I was chasing after the song for all of it. It had been playing a couple times on repeat. Though somethings distracted it, like stop lights or incoming traffic, or maybe it stopped enough to let the other catch it, it didn't stop.

Hush child

Darkness will rise from the deep and-

Carry you down to sleep.

We were near houses. Not like suburb houses, like in Idiot's Lantern. These were more like Brownhouses- the kind of blocks you saw for 221b or where the Darlings lived with their 15 puppies.

Yes in fact I had been there. I had been a cute black puppy! SHE WAS SO FLUFFY! But my canine hearts belongs with Rebel, cause he's perfect too.

The house was tall, as brown House's tended to be. A standard three floors, tile roofing curtained windows, and this simple staircase leading up to the door.

I was inexplicably in love with it.

I looked down at the first step. It had child's handprints painted on the stairs. All in bright hues from the color wheel, with some adding their initials or the age of beneath their hand prints.

Guileless son, each day you grow older

Each moment I'm watching my vengeance unfold

For the child of my body, the flesh of my soul

Will die in returning the birthright he stole

Rebel came to my side. He paused at the steps. He sent me a mental question.

"Stupendous idea, Rebel." I too a step onto the stairs.

The music faded off.

Taking a step back, the music was playing.

Taking a step forward, the music stopped.

Back: playing.

Forward: stopping.

How convenient

I sighed, happy with my decision. "This is it."

Rebel barked in agreement.

Grabbing the stair rail, I began the quick climb.

Before I could get too far, the Doctor and Martha caught up.

"Terra!" They both called out in panic.

"Stop!" The Doctor pleaded. "Just stop, slow down and think."

Turning to him, I tilted my head. "I did."

I had a whole inner dialogue about it. Complete with flashback, anecdote, and Disney reference. What more did he want, an itemized list?

The Doctor shook his head, letting out an exhausted exhale. "No- doesn't it I seem strange? You hear a 'song' in your head and it leads you to a house? That's suspicious."

"No it's not." I countered. I turned on the stairs to face him. "I knew the song. I knew where it came from, so it made sense to follow."

The Doctor huffed. Tired? No. This was exhaustion... the exhaustion but not physical...exasperated. He was exasperated...with me? That can't be right. He can't be fed up by me already. I was a day old. How could he be done with me already?

I didn't want him to hate me

The only thing that could it worse is-

I turned to Martha. She didn't look any better than the Doctor. In her defense, she was less used to the idea of regeneration than the Doctor. She was thrown headfirst into it. She took it better than Rose, at least. Though Jack would always be the best reaction to a regeneration.

Holy shit Jack was gonna meet me. Well...huzzah..

She had given me a chance. I had to work off that.

"Martha, I swear I know what I'm doing." I promised.

Martha hesitated.

"Solemnly swear." I added, reaching for her hand.

Martha looked at my hand, then the house behind me. "We've been chasing you for-" She checked her watch. "-twenty minutes. To nowhere."

I kept holding my hand up.

Rebel hopped up on the step. At least someone stood with me.

Martha let out a resigned sigh. "This is a bad idea."

But it made me smile. What was bad about that?

With Martha's approval for a go ahead, I went back up to my adventure up the stairs.

"Martha!" The Doctor scolded. "We don't know-"

"She's going to do it anyway!"

"Yeah but it's not safe-"

"He's right. The door just bit me."

"See! The door bites- I'm sorry what?" The Doctor asked.

I had my hand on the doorknob. The thumb pad had stung me when I touched it. Not like a burn, more like a static shock. Nothing too dangerous, just something I wanted to make note of.

The Doctor took that as the most negative of negatives. He rushed up the stairs to me. He pulled my hand off the door, immediately going to scan me.

"No need to worry, Doc." I held up my thumb. "It's okie dokie- hey that was fun to say."

The Doctor was ignoring that. Always focusing on negatives, this one. "Well one of us has to worry."

'Did he really just say that to me?' In retaliation, I pushed the door open.

It hadn't even been locked. Or if it had been, I hadn't noticed cause the door bit me.

The two of us went tumbling to the ground. Martha gasped. "Doctor!" She ran up the stairs.

Rebel ran to my front, licking at my hand as I pushed myself off the pushed himself to his feet, waving off Martha's concern.

"Are you two alright?" Martha asked us.

"Yeah, fine."

"I can survive falling down." I cheered.

'But I didn't survive falling for you...oh that was a good one I should write it down, tell it to a pretty girl that next time I see her. That would be marvelous.'

The lights suddenly switched on. It was the bright kind that was more white than yellow. Those ones were fun. Looking around, I saw this space was indeed special. It was bigger on the inside.

There was a quaint lobby. It had a receptionist desk. They were painted a calming shade of blue, like my skirt. The carpet was deep mahogany brown. The couches were tan, with soft fabric. They had magazines from all times on the table, mostly Highlights or Where's Waldo?

The walls were covered in various shades of blue squares. The blue squares were what got me, cause I recognized their design pattern on sight. I should- it had been a backdrop in my life for four years. I had helped paint them.

"That's S.H.I.T.!" I shouted happily.

Martha looked at me with wide eyes. "It's what?"

"It's my college! This is the main lobby, or what the main lobby looked like." I explained, elated at the familiar surroundings.

I ran towards the couch, lifting it up. Sure enough there was a paint splotch from a mop hitting the floor with paint instead of water. I had refused to let Sherman fix his mistakes. It gave the building character.

Holy the receptionist desk. That's hilarious! Our's never was a receptionist desk. Nobody would ever take the job. It was a campus legend that it was haunted by a woman named Milifred who died on the spot. I may have started it, so no one touched the desk where I hid my weed but who cares about those silly details?

"When Miss says it's her college, she is being literal. She founded it." A neutral toned male voice overhead explained. When I looked up, nobody was there. Ah, a disembodied voice. Those always worked well for me. "High off her ass at the time too."

"So was everyone else at the meeting!" I cheered. Rebel barked happily, darting around the room. He jumped up onto the couch, rolling on it. Oh I bet that would be fun to clean. "Who are you?"

"Terra! We need to leave." The Doctor insisted. He walked up to my side, holding my arm in his hand. "Something about this place isn't right."

'Terra we shouldn't have come in here. It could have been a trap!'

'Oh it's definitely a trap. That's why I walked inside!'

'What?!' He gawked at me. 'You- you can't just walk into traps! That's not- okay don't give me that look I know I do that on occasion- I said don't give me that look.'

'Quit earning it then.'

'Just think! A place that lured you in by a song you know, ages walking, all to a place that looks like a place you built? Tell me that seems odd to you. You're always pointing that out to me, don't tell me you've lost it. Please don't tell me you changed that much.'

He overshared.

Like, ridiculously overshared there. I don't think I was meant to hear that last bit. Didn't make it hurt any less. It just made it an overshare I wasn't meant to hear so I ignored it. That was the credit it deserved.

'It's incredibly obvious. Over the bopped top obvious. In fact, it's so over-the-countertop obvious that it actually isn't obvious at all. So, I'm safe. Cause I thought it through.' I countered. Looking him in the eye, I dared him to say anything derogatory about my mind right now. Dared him to say anything more slanderous to my new character. Once I would let slide, a second not so much.

The Doctor noticed that instinct. He saw that I raised my hackles against him.

Behind me, Rebel growled at the Doctor.

Martha walked over to us. She was staring up at the ceiling. "What was that voice before?"

The Doctor let go of me. But he was still keeping his eyes on mine. I refused to back down. This one didn't back down from what she sided on. The Doctor pulled out his sonic, scanning the living room space.

"Hiya there! My name is GARTH." The voice in the ceiling introduced. "Guarding Attendant Retrofitted To Haven! I'm the AI in charge of maintaining the Haven."

"Haven?" I asked, suddenly excited. Turning to the ceiling I smiled wide. "Is that what it's called? Really, really?"

"You betcha!" The voice cheered.

The Doctor checked the results on the sonic. "An AI in charge of a building? That's advanced for 1969. Especially one so...lively." The Doctor noted, skeptical.

"That'd be true if I was made in 1969!" GARTH answered. "Miss Terra made me in 2014. She likes her AIs to have a personality! When making me, she thought about what was best suited for the Haven and-well- that was me! Apparently, I'm really great in this kind of crisis."

Oh my Author

Haven

He called it a Haven

Like...one that I made.

I made the Haven.

I...I finally made it.

With that thought beginning to take effect, I flopped down onto the couch. Rebel came to my side, licking my face. He wanted to know why I suddenly felt so shocked.

Because I made it, Rebel.

I made it at last.

The Doctor was still skeptical. He looked up at the ceiling. "Terra...made you."

"Yep."

"Alright." The Doctor glanced at me. "What was that trick with the door? It scanned her with a kind of technology I know doesn't exist by 2014."

"That was a routine DNA check when we detected Miss Terra approaching. My scanners on the doorknob check her timeline for where in her's she is. That was she gets a personalized time in Haven. Can't have her seeing spoilers- besides me, obviously. I'm kinda hard to avoid in here." GARTH explained.

"Why not just barr her entry, if she was too young to even know what this place is?" The Doctor pointed out.

"Doctor, he's an AI. No need to interrogate." I told him. Geez, I wish the song had just let me run ahead of him. That kept him from asking these hard questions.

But the only reason GARTH wouldn't have done that...the only reason I wouldn't have put that counter command in...was because there was one command that superseded it.

He needs help.

And the Haven would never turn away someone in need.

No matter their time period or damage to my secrets.

Helping people always came first.

"Terra?" Martha asked. She sat at my non-dog side. "Are you alright?"

I couldn't find words.

What I could find was lyrics!

"My dream is really simple- yet somehow reaching it's been abysmal." I sang softly. "I want a place just like this where people from all places can be free. They can be the person they always wanted to be."

Martha sat back at the song. Yes, this body had a beautiful singing voice. I had done a lot of practicing with it while making my dresses. I'm glad Martha was impressed.

"It would be a safe haven from all harm, whether running from guards or magic charm." I sang on. My smile came naturally as I recalled this song from way back when. Oh, it can't have been more than 6 years ago when I first spoke it outloud. "And no one thinks they're making up schemes. Like any normal folk, I've got a dream!"

Martha blinked. The Doctor did too.

It was just hitting me the weight of what was happening here. The implications...oh why hadn't I thought about the implications!

"I can't believe she did it...that mad woman finally did it." I smiled up at the ceiling. Standing up in excitement, I looked around the SHIT room with new eyes.

She made it look like this because I always associated this space with acceptance. Where anyone can come in. Acceptance is just a doorknob away.

The song! That was acting like a kind of siren beacon to this place, almost like- like- OH! Like the hologram man from The Lodger! It brought people in that needed help. It made sure they came in by feeding them a song they're used too, something that would get their attention and slowly earn their trust. Rebel and I could hear it because I wanted to help us find someplace, and Rebel always wants to help me. The Doctor and Martha couldn't because they were following us anyway, they only wanted to help us.

And GARTH is here because sometimes people don't want to see other people when they're scared. They want a nice voice to greet them, make them feel welcome. I could've had someone at the door but that always comes with it's own risks based on whoever I have there. GARTH can also be here at all times, as AIs don't need bathroom or food breaks. He can be there all the time. I wonder...

"GARTH. I need help." I spoke, unable to stop beaming.

"Of sure thing! What kind of trouble are you in?" GARTH replied.

"This is a bad idea." The Doctor shook his head. "I can't believe this."

"Time displacement without a capsule." I reported.

"Those gosh darn Angels again!" GARTH whined.

"I know, right? Anyway we'll need space for three humans and a dog." I reported.

"Sure thing!" GARTH replied. "I can give you keys and directions. They'll be on the desk on the table. We got two rooms: a one bedroom, and a two bedroom. Share them at your leisure!"

I beamed. Laughing, unable to stop myself even if I wanted it. Letting out a whopping hollar I started jumping for joy. Jumping and spinning and cheering loudly, like it was Fourth of July.

It works

IT WORKS!

"I DID IT I DID IT I DID IT!" I yelled loudly. "FUCK YES I DID IT!"

"No, don't do that."

"I DID IT! I DID IT! I MOTHER-FUCKING DID IT!"

"Yep. Still does the swearing."

"I'M A FUCKING BOSS!"

"Terra!" The Doctor prompted. "Can we be serious?"

"Absolution, sir." I replied, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt. The Doctor looked confused at my word choice. I went with it. "In our rooms. That we have. Cause we needed help and the Haven gives room to all that need them. We'll have more fun there!"

Pulling away from him, I ran from the living room space to the reception desk.

The Doctor ran his hand over his face.

I picked up the room keys, along with the pamphlet that must have our rooms. "Hey, do these work around iPhones?"

"Unfortunately no."

"Really? I built the Haven with an AI, and a magic door, complete with siren effect, but not keycards that can sit beside an iPhone?" I asked, surprised at my own future lack of care for this important task.

"You were really busy that day."

"Sugar." I pouted. Dropping the pout, I grinned at the Doctor and Martha. "Come on, guys! We're off to see our rooms!"

The Doctor let his head fall in defeat. Martha stood up, walking toward me. Rebel hopped toward me. He had no real idea what was going on, he was just excited I was excited.

How could I not be?

I'd fucking peaked.

==ROTF==

The pamphlet map was confusing at first. It wasn't a three-fold, instead expanding and growing until it looked more like a copy of the Marauder's Map. I'd bought that already so I had a fair idea how to fold this.

Our rooms ended up being on the third floor. A lot of the other rooms on the map were blocked off, with notes on the side saying that those residents had requested no visitors or that they weren't occupying those rooms yet. I had no interest in disturbing their peace. The Haven was made for that, taking that from them was cruel.

I guided the party to the rooms. The two suites sat across from each other in the hall. I loved it. Really, really loved it. The one bedroom could go to Doc, if he wanted to insist on gender stuff. That meant Martha and I would be roommates.

Funny, how almost each adventure we'd had with Martha sleeping with a Time Lord.

Shakespeare: we got a bed. Manhattan: we stayed the night there with her. 1913: fucking obvious.

I'm violently pushing down any urge to blush.

I pushed the door open for the two bedroom suite.

The rooms were a lot like hotel rooms. There was a tiny kitchen by the door, stocked with bread, disposable water bottles, tea packets, ramen noodles, and a handful of canned goods. I thought that was really sweet of them. Providing food for people that needed it.

After the kitchen was the living room. It had an 'L' shaped taupe couch, a coffee table, and a TV stand. There was a fireplace but it didn't look safe for proper fire. Maybe a gas fireplace?

The bedrooms were to the right and left of the living room. A quick glance showed each room had a queen sized bed. Ohhh those are a lot of pillows. I liked a lot of pillows. Or I do now.

I CAN JUMP ON THAT BED!

I CAN JUMP SO HIGH ON THAT BED!

But first, snacks.

I turned to the kitchen as the Doctor and Martha walked in. Rebel ran to my side, sniffing at the kitchen. "Oooh, it's already got food here." Opening the fridge I saw lots of chocolate tucked away. There was also milk, eggs, sauces, and yogurt, but chocolate. "I'd love some chocolate!"

Rebel barked.

I checked the drawer he was sniffing. Sure enough, he had found the dog food. "Are you hungry, boy? I can get your doggy bowl from my Bag?"

Rebel nodded, his tail wagging.

"Good boy." I reached to his head, scratching behind his ear. Rebel tilted his head into it.

The Doctor let out an aggravated sigh. Martha awkwardly stood by the couch. She seemed to be holding back her usual curiosity. It wasn't normal for her to be holding back like that.

Looking up, I pushed my hand inside the Bag. "Okay. This has been a weird day. Did you want to start from West Dremlins or-"

"I want to start from you trusting this place so much." The Doctor scolded. "Especially so recklessly."

I pulled out Rebel's dog bowl. He tipped in delight. Kneeling down I pulled out the bag of dog food. There was a scooper beside it so I grabbed that too. "I told you I thought it through."

"You may think you have. Your kind is still settling from the regeneration." The Doctor explained.

"Now you're saying I don't know my own mind?" I asked, pouring food into his bowl. Rebel went at it.

"Not yet!" The Doctor argued. He calmed himself down. "You need to take it slow. There's no telling what the actual consequences for this are yet."

That got on my nerves. I glared at him, riding to my feet. Before I could get a word out, Martha put herself between us.

I couldn't be mad at you

Him, yeah

But never you

That's dirty play, Martha Jones

I love you even more for it

"You said you thought it through." Martha recalled.

"Yep." I confirmed.

"Then tell us how." Martha explained. "Tell us what your thought process was, how you got to where you did."

Could I do that?

Just...show my work?

But some of my work won't make sense to them. They won't like it either.

I won't know for sure unless I try...right?

"I knew the song that was playing." I began, anxiously fiddling with the dog food scoop.

Martha was looking at me with an easy expression, open and welcome. It made it easier to talk to her. Talking to her had always been easy, hadn't it?

"It was a song I kinda liked according to the recommenders. It's not a big song, not a lot of people have heard it so I knew anyone using it to get my attention had to be a small range. Even smaller for someone that knew I liked the song."

"Okay." Martha nodded. "You thought it was someone you knew, because they projected a song you liked in your head?"

"The TARDIS does it all the time." I dismissed with a shrug.

"You thought it was the TARDIS?" The Doctor prompted.

"No. She got left behind. She's probably already working out how to protect herself from the Angels." I explained. "I followed the song here cause I thought that whatever was luring me here had to be Future Me, but just someone who knew me. I said the range was small but the truth is it was just me. I'm the range."

That seemed to throw Martha off. "Your future self? Doesn't that...mess with timelines? Like when you jumped at me in Chancellor Street?"

"Only if I walk in her path." I assured her. Even then, there's a decent chance I'd remember it anyway.

Martha took that in. The Doctor looked like he was accepting the explanation, even if any talk of dealing with future selves was setting off some Time Lord timeline bells.

"But what about the building? Why walk inside it?" Martha asked.

"Faith, trust, and pixie dust." I answered simply. Martha closed her eyes, taking a breath. She wanted me to give more strong reasons for doing what I did. I could give her that, give her those reasons. "It had children's handprints on the steps. It's hard to fake those things. Ones of different sizes, colors, all sorts. It's proof a lot of people have been in this building besides me. Nobody looking to do us harm would put that much effort into something."

The Doctor's expression had a whole different opinion. Something in his grown eyes sparked over Martha's head. He knew of someone that would go into all that effort.

Well the Master isn't in this time, so we're fine.

"Okay. That's a good point." Martha replied. After taking a trends breath she continued on. "What was all that about the Haven?"

My hearts raced again. They beat in a Pitter-patter of joy. It was Frabjous Day!

"There was a guy, Lawrence Latshaw. He's my hero." I began, sighing in happy reminiscence. "His kind of work was getting people out of toxic relationships into happier, safer places. I'd seen a lot of shelters similar, like for battered women or men, or the foster system, or stuff like that. Lawarencr was doing a great job of it...but sometimes they would still get found. That always made me sad. It upset me in my jobs- any of them. It upset me when I'd open a case folder to see a dead person looking up at me because their spouse found them hiding. I hated living in foster homes and girls homes with bad foster parents or kids who had given up on just about everything because everything gave up on them."

My speech was getting to them. The Doctor had this pain in his eyes. 'It's never easy being the only child left out in the cold.' 'I suppose you'd know.' 'I do actually, yes.' He understood the pain of what I was talking about. The struggle of watching that pain over and over again, helpless to it. Wanting to do something but nothing was enough. The bad things always caught up.

Martha was understanding too. No doubt she'd seen some of the cases I was talking about in her line of work. A lot of those people came in as emergency room visits were 'broken arms' or 'angry doorknobs'.

"I told Lawrence once, one day I'll build a safe haven for you. One where you can send everybody where they'll be completely safe." I explained. Rebel cane to my side, pushing his hand into my hand. I started scratching him again. "He'd laughed but I didn't let it go. I started working on what it needed. It would need to be open for people that needed help, or to escape. It would have to barr access to anyone wanting to cause harm. There would have to be room, so bigger on the inside was a must. I hadn't considered time travel aspects until we stepped foot in here." I smiled proudly at the ceiling. "It's better than I could've imagined."

Martha nodded, her eyes a bit watery. "That's...really wonderful, Terra."

"I know." I replied in a dreamy sigh. "The only thing that would be better is if the keys worked around smartphones."

Martha let out a laugh. It was beautiful and free. "If that's the only problem you have with it."

"Okay. Then thank you, Terra." The Doctor replied. "Sorry for doubting you. She's as new to you as she is to me."

Just like that, my faith in you is restored.

"That's okay. I understand." I told him, knowing it was mostly a lie. I could understand his rush to judgement, rush to concern, the admittance of guilt. That didn't change the fact that his words were hurting me. "I know my own mind, even if it's new. She's very decisive...or she seems that way at least."

"That she is." The Doctor agreed, adding a small laugh.

==ROTF==

The Doctor started talking about what happened back there. At the house.

I pulled out the folder from my Bag. It had been decided (by Terra Two) that I would carry it. I was better at holding onto things. That, and I grabbed it first so I had dibs. Dibs is a highly respected rule across the universe. The Doctor agreed to respect the dibs.

As he was explaining the encounter with Sally Sparrow to Martha, I was reading the folder to Rebel.

"-she wanted to talk about-" The Doctor was explaining.

"-she's only got 17, can you believe that?...I know I'm biased but still."

"-something, but she mentioned time travel with got our attention-"

"-I mean, how didn't they notice the car behind them the whole time? Sally should've seen her grandson's car following them to the house."

"-and it talked about things called Weeping Angels-"

"-And this paint. Look at this paint for my name. How did the rainbow stay so rainbow? Was it skittles?"

Rebel loved this dialogue.

Martha looked like she was getting a headache.

"-which is why Terra kept warning me about angel statues. She's been skittish around them for ages."

"For good reason!" I told the Doctor. "Did you see when we landed? I repeat, when we landed?"

"Yes I noticed." The Doctor sighed. "What else did that folder say about Angels?"

"It didn't say anything." I replied.

The Doctor shook his head. "No, that can't be right-"

"It's paper. Paper can't say anything." I joked. The Doctor blinked, then grinned widely. "I had you there."

"That you did, that you did." The Doctor laughed. Martha was cracking a smile at the joke too. Score! I got Martha to laugh. The world is at peace. "But what does it say- I mean, what words are writt-typed there."

Oh. He had to work hard to get that right.

I'm proud of him.

"It said they move when no one is looking at them." I reported, diligently. "When you look at them, they are suddenly overcome by Medusa-syndrome."

"Oh I got that. Turn to stone." Martha reasoned with a proud smile. "The stone statues were that?"

"Yes." The Doctor answered. "What else does it have?"

"It's not that often we come across an alien you don't know." Martha teased.

"I don't like it." The Doctor replied back, with a face saying he was completely serious. "Terra?"

"Weeping Angels eat time."

"They can't eat time, nothing eats time."

"Weeping Angels do." I pointed at that spot on the transcript. Thank you, Larry Nightingale, for your wisdom. "It doesn't say it here, but it's implied in the buttsex."

Rebel barked. The Doctor and Martha sent me incredulous looks.

"Subtext." I corrected it. "I meant to use 'subtext' there. This face hasn't figured out the tongue yet."

The Doctor blinked. "Okay. Weeping Angels eat time...but that's not- oh OH! I'm an idiot Terra don't make a joke." He did that all in one breath. For that, no joke. "They don't eat time, time isn't a material like that. It's energy. They eat potential time. When they touched us, it sent us back in time. They feed off the energy of the days we would've had. Must've been a light meal, we're time travelers. Ohh...but they knew that. They sent us all back at once. They wanted us gone so they could get to the TARDIS!"

"Yep that's in here." I held up the transcript page. "That we need Sally Sparrow to send the TARDIS back to us so we can leave."

"We don't have the TARDIS right now? We're stuck in 1969?" Martha realized. "But- Terra you built this place! It's gotta be a TARDIS, yeah?"

"That's just what it's called. That doesn't mean I know what it's doing." I quoted. The Doctor's Wife is a popular episode in my head today.

The Doctor stepped in. "TARDIS' can't be built. They have to be grown. Even so, I don't think Terra grew a TARDIS. It's a hard task."

Don't tell me that

Now I want to prove you wrong because Spite

"So, how do we get to Sally Sparrow?"

"A devestanginly short DVD list." I held up the paper to the Doctor. He snatched it from my hands. "17 DVD's. What horror. I considered myself lacking if I carry less than thirty at any given moment."

Rebel yipped.

"Yes, I'm still going to show you Veggietales later. Next is Rack, Shack, and Benny."

The Doctor read over the list. "It says 'easter eggs'. We just have to get access to these DVDs when they're in production so they can place the easter egg into all 17 DVD's. And do it all from 1969." The Doctor handed the page back. "Easy."

"As pie." Martha snarked.

Smiling, I tucked the page back into the folder. "I don't like apple pie anymore."

"Yes!" The Doctor held his hand out to me. I clapped it, grabbing it to pull myself up. "We need to find your palette. Now you said this place was a haven, someplace safe. Any safe place like that needs food...does the pamphlet say anything about a kitchen?"

"I love maps!" I cheered. Grabbing the pamphlet, I searched for something about a kitchen. "There's a mess hall."

"Then that's our first step."

"Shouldn't we...talk about sleeping arrangements?" Martha prompted.

"Girls bunk with girls, the boy gets put into the shame closet." I pointed with a thumb to the room across the hall. The Doctor laughed. "I did not mean to call it the shame closet."

"I know. You haven't figured out 'tongue' yet." The Doctor laughed.

I am getting the distinct impression I am being mocked.

Not bad.

But Martha was not satisfied by the arrangements. She just didn't say anything. She made a face, glancing between the two rooms with hesitation.

Rebel saw that look. He sensed the thoughts in Martha's head. He saw what Martha really wanted. He knew she didn't want to stay in Terra's room, she wanted to stay in the Doctor's.

==ROTF==

The mess hall had people in it.

The hall was big. It was how one imagined the Great Hall in Harry Potter, although instead of four long tables it was broken down into easier small tables for ease of sitting. The tables weren't covered in food, rather it was at where the teacher's table would have been. A classic buffet style food place.

And people were in it. Eating the food. Some were sitting quietly by themselves. Some sat in friend groups. A few were being loud and happy. A lot more were just quietly enjoying- checking the high clock on the wall- dinner.

I was in awe.

The Doctor clapped a hand on my shoulder. "It looks great, Terra."

"I know." I replied, trying to keep composed. "It's just...I had no idea it would look this good."

"Martha and I will go get seats." The Doctor encouraged me. "Take it all in."

"The Haven, or the food?" I asked. "I don't think the plates are big enough for me to take all the food."

He laughed again. "This one is funny."

I was serious.

Oh well!

Walking up to the buffet table meant I walked the entire length of the hall. Did this get me looks from the other patrons? Not really. That was a wonderful feeling, not going to lie.

Food

Glorious FOOD!

I need to eat…

That...that...this...some of that...a little more of this, a little more of that, you think it makes you happy but it only makes you fat, now it's time to bid you all adieu, but not before a present just for you.

Now I've got Veggietales on the brain.

HUZZAH!

My plate piled high with food, I carried it off towards where the Doctor and Martha had sat themselves. Suddenly, I had a flashback of any time you picked a table in high school. So it was a good idea that Hogwarts never had these tables.

"Terra!" A voice called out.

I turned to it, also struck by all the times one picked a table for the first time in popular movies.

Somebody was sitting at a table, all by themselves. Normally I would go on my way, go see the people I knew because strangers make everyone nervous and high school is already so fucked up. This person was also a humanoid tree, so I felt more inclined to get information.

I sat across from the tree person. They looked like any ordinary teenager. They wore a baggy tank top for a rock band most people assumed they never heard of, legs up on the table because screw sitting upright like a Victorian Queen (sorry Alex!), and a bag of half-eaten chips and a Mountain Dew on their plate.

The tree person waved at me. "Come sit here!"

A tree person hadn't been around since Jabe. This was a curiosity that wouldn't die.

They wore hole filled jeans but I don't remember if the tree people with Jabe wore manly clothing or not. She wore robes but what if that was just a fancy dress? There was a lot about trees I didn't know. What makes a male or female tree? I don't wanna look like an idiot by assuming the wrong one.

They drank some of their Mountain Dew. "What's with all the food? Gonna go on a YouTube hyperfixation again?"

They knew me. Knew me enough to know I deep dive on YouTube, much like how I found 'Morgana's Lullaby.' Oh the Haven just got better and better!

They had asked me a question.

"I'm just hungry." I dismissed, taking the seat across from them. Looking at my plate- okay it was a lot of plates- I wondered where to start first. "Stomach's...kinda empty."

That happens when you explode

All that food energy goes someplace else

They shrugged, taking my explanation at face value. "Wait...you don't usually eat the egg salad."

"It's egg salad?" I noted. Poking the food with a fork, I grimaced as it spread. "Ugh- I thought it was scrambled eggs."

The tree chuckled. "You idiot."

"I am blind. My eyes are now useless. Do I need glasses?!" Darcy wouldn't stop mocking me if I got glasses...then again I could make them pink!

"You have the attention span of Scrat the squirrel." The tree joked. I had no idea if I did yet, so I could only agree. "Just eat. I've got stuff to vent."

"I like venting!" Or do I? I should find out.

"Yeah well this ain't the shit I can vent at Darce. I'll get stabbed." The tree remarked. They reached over to my plate to grab a French fry. "You know what she's like with feelings."

Now that I did not like. That I distinctly did not like. How dare they steal my food?!

Also the Darcy mention.

Before the tree could grab the fry, I reached into my Bag. Pulling out the first weapon I touched had it aimed quietly at them.

"Say that again?" Asked me, keeping my tone suddenly serious. Though it would be bad to yell or shout just yet. It wouldn't look good to cause a scene.

The tree person was confused for a moment. They glanced at my hand, to the barrel of the gun resting on the table to aim at their chest. "Jesus Christ- put that away."

"You said her name. How do you know it?" I pressed, in that same tone.

The tree looked around the room. "What the hell are you playing? Was this a bet?"

"This is venting. I like that now." I replied. I clicked off the safety. The tree tensed. If they had leaves, they'd be shaking. "Why did you say her name?"

"You have no idea who I am." The tree realized, blue eyes going wide.

"I'm learning how much patience I have. You are my test subject for it." I warned them.

"You're new. You're new! Holy shit you're new- okay." The tree exhaled. "I know Darcy. We're not friends cause nobody's friends with that sociopath unless they are also a sociopath."

Fair

"She told me her name. I swear. I'm not- I'm not part of anything. I mean I'm part of a group but we're more like Darcy's babysitters for when she goes off-site." The tree promised. "I'm just- crap you can't know my name if you've just me-"

"Found my limit." I warned them.

The tree bit back a yelp. They glanced around the room to the other tables. It wasn't densely packed in here. It just sorta had people in and out. A very early dinner crowd.

Less witnesses.

"Groot! My name is Groot and I hate saying that but I promise I'm not a threat." Groot explained. "Really. I'm not. I'm a resident at Haven, T, I promise!"

That got my attention. "You're a resident?" It made sense. Jabe and her people were from the far future. If Groot was wearing a near-modern band gear and hole-torn jeans, then they would have to be a resident to gain access to this time.

"You always joke that I'm the 'Resident Evil' around here." Groot explained. "Cause a- cause the main character was Alice or some shot and you're like a fucked up white rabbit they led me down the rabbit hole of fandoms. It's a convoluted nickname. Your nicknames never make sense."

Ah

They have that going for them

Clicking the safety back on, I tucked the gun back into the Bag. "My apologies, Groot, how did you know She-Who-Dies-At-Dawn?" My voice was much lighter and lacked any seriousness. My Liam Neison impressions usually sucked.

The tree person just stared at me for a long beat. "Scrat. But on crack." They huffed. "I'm- I'm one of the people she works- well not work cause she's never worked at anything that didn't involve knives."

"That takes work too." I noted, taking a bite of whatever was on my plate. 'Eww...okay note: green beans are a no.' It fell out of my mouth back onto my plate.

The tree person huffed. They're taking having a gun pointed at them a moment ago quite well. Then again, if they hang around Darcy at all then there's plenty of practice in being casually threatened with death. "Yeah but she's never doing what she's told. You know, I don't have to explain that to you."

I bit into another food. 'Blech! Yellow fruit that's not bananas is also no.' "Ugh I hate it." Grabbing the Mountain Dew, I drank it to get out the taste.

"Hey." Groot whined. "Get your own."

Oh. I like this.

Popping off the top with a delight sigh, I smiled. "This is good. Terra Three likes this."

"I...hate you?" Groot admitted. "Unironically. You do this all the time."

I smiled unashamedly.

"I hate that I'm your friend, your's more than hers. Darcy's shit at making friends but you're better at faking it." Groot snarked.

They aren't even wrong.

'Terra where did you go? I don't see you at the buffet' The Doctor noted.

'I made a new friend!' I replied happily. 'They've been helping me find stuff to eat.'

Groot watched in disgust as I ate a lot more off my plate. "Fine. I'll go get a new one. But I'm charging you for it." They got up from the table. They walked off towards a side of the buffet table with a soda machine.

I'll investigate that later.

'I see you.' The Doctor spoke in my mind, before suddenly jumping into the seat next to me. "Hello there stranger."

He caught me between bites of carrots. I don't like this Rabbit Food. It fell out of my mouth again.

The Doctor made a face.

"You lick walls." I reminded him.

"You can't spit it out like that after taking a bite." The Doctor shook his head.

"Well clearly I just did." I countered, picking up a bite of plain noodles. And when you do the same thing as Eleven, I will quote this back at you and laugh.

"You can not just put it back on your plate." The Doctor explained. I slurped up a noodle. Noodles are a go! Haha- it's slapping my face! "Anything good so far?"

"Just Mountain Dew and noodles." I answered. "All the rest is back on the plate."

The Doctor grinned. I smiled back, a noodle hanging out.

"How's Martha?" I asked, moving on to the other options. I'd already said pizza would be a given so...sandwich. They had uncrustables so I started to eat one. While talking to the Doctor, I started peeling off the crimped edge. "She find something to eat? After 1913 food I bet this place is a good mine."

"Yeah, she's adjusting to the idea of a space without the TARDIS." The Doctor explained. "She figures that Sally Sparrow will get it back to us before long."

"Did I imply that?"

"Somewhere around the 'buttsex', yes."

"Oi. I told you to never make jokes like that on penalty new-face after the leather Slabs."

"No you didn't."

"It was implied."

"...why are you eating it like that? You just bite into it." The Doctor pointed to my sandwich. "Don't tell me you changed into a person that doesn't eat the 'crusts' on 'uncrustables'."

"Oh this is normal." Taking the crimped peel, I stuck one end in my mouth. Chewing it up like a bready fruit roll up was normal for me. I think it's a tic that I've not seen shaken off in any version of me I've ever been. "I gotta eat the first layer of the sandwich before I can get to level two. Duh."

The Doctor barked out a laugh. Rebel barked from across the room in response. A quick look showed people coming to their table, small children cooing over the polite dog. He was loving the praise.

Sandwiches are good...

Did I try chips yet?

I finished off the peel, grabbing some French fries to pop in my mouth. They were good but not great. Then again, unless they're McD's fries what's the point? The bag of chips I'd grabbed looked better. Opening the bag, I started eating the spicy nacho Doritos.

I loved them.

Spicy food- gotta find it later

"How are you?" The Doctor asked, his tone shifting to a seriousness he usually only saved for quiet moments. Conversations better had in the privacy of our minds, or hidden away in rooms of the TARDIS. "It's been a big change."

I searched my plates for something spicy. If I remember I added salsa...there! Popping a salsa covered chip in my mouth, I cheered.

It wasn't the spiciest

But I love it!

"Terra?"

"Hmm?"

The Doctor glanced at my food covered tray then at me. "How are you handling it? I know your last one was tough. How are you feeling?"

Honestly? Not great.

I can tell I'm going to break down soon

Like...Time Lady coma but I'll be awake in a state of anxious panic trying to sort out all the future shit I haven't touched since I stopped being Caroline Brown.

"Still hungry." I replied. Glancing at Groot's chips, I searched for any sign of the tree person.

No sign.

They'd left.

Blast. I never got to ask if being a tree helped keep Darcy from stabbing them.

"Settling into her." I popped another dipped tortilla chip in my mouth then washed it down with Mountain Dew. "I...think I need more time to figure her out."

"Well we don't know how long we'll be here." The Doctor pointed out. He had a point. Not even I knew that. Could be three days, could be three months. "You don't have to figure it out alone."

"I don't?"

"No. I'm an old hat at this." The Doctor joked. It made me chuckle. "It's no skin off my back helping you. Or hand off my wrist. Remember when I lost it?"

Hahaha

And Jack caught it

And used it to track you down

Then the Master used it to turn you old

Then you kept it

It turned into a clone with Donna

Holy shit we have to explain regeneration to Donna

Holy shit I have to explain Season 4 to Terra Three

Fuckfuckfuckfuck-

"I think I need to do it alone." I spoke, feeling suddenly like the floor had opened up below me. Reaching into the skirt pockets, I pulled out the other room key. They'd been numbered. "This is the key to the double room. I...I think I'll take the single."

Even though I wanted to spend more time with Martha

I want to do that so badly

Because I finally see what it was like for you

But I don't want your advice. I saw how it ends. I couldn't do that to her

The Doctor seemed to understand, even if he'd wanted to be there with me. "Will you be alright?"

No

"Yep." I smiled, having another dipped tortilla chip. "Don't worry. I'll introduce you to me when I'm done with her."

"If you're sure." The Doctor replied. "Guess I'll break it to Martha."

"Yep. You do that."

"Hope she's not disappointed."

("I love him to bits!")

"I'll see you later."

Without waiting for his reply, I stood up and left. Rebel followed after me. No doubt he sensed my troubled mind. Had I gotten a therapy dog without knowing?

As I left, I missed Groot watching from the outside hall. They texted someone on a phone.

'3's hour chimed'

They didn't wait long for an answer.

'Make sure she doesn't break the clock'

==ROTF==

"For a star to be born, there is one thing that must happen:

A gaseous nebula must collapse

So collapse

Crumble

This is not your destruction

This is your birth"

Terra read that quote in a self-help forum.

She had always liked it.

But as she was curled up on a bed, her mind stretched to every expanse of time (forward backward sideways upside down- Silly Sally went to town walking backwards upside down-) Terra could only feel the collapse.

She had Rebel at her side. The poor dog served as little better than a warm body to hug. The canine didn't seem to mind. If anything, he loved it.

Because while he could easily give his mom happy thoughts, project thoughts of joy or hope into her mind, that wasn't what she needed. His mom felt sad sometimes but she always got really better when she was allowed to be sad.

And he'd felt Martha's joy when she and the Doctor returned to their room. He felt her delight in such contrast to Terra's current head. The double room sat as a too bright beacon of warmth, compared to Terra's single room plunged into cold darkness.

She was curled up with her dog for six hours before she moved.

Terra Johnson #3 did crumble but she would not break.

It's what made Rebel proudest of his mom.

==ROTF==

They were at the Haven a month before things got interesting.

The mornings were usually started by Rebel licking Terra's face. Terra would smile, scratch his head, then get to work.

She'd planned her travel here for a long haul. The first four seasons with Nine and Ten. She hadn't planned for a regeneration. That had been on the fly from Caroline Brown.

Nobody exactly planned on dying. Not even Terra. Faking her death, maybe, but not actually dying.

She had things to check over on her plans. Would this Terra be able to do them? What would she have problems doing? How was she going to handle all of this?

The Year was coming too.

Who knows how long until they would land in Cardiff for a recharge?

How would Jack react to this new Terra? He was good around Ten, but that's cause he turned up the charisma. On that logic, he'd turn it up for Terra too. How would Terra react to her Jackass?

How would she react to Donna?

Terra had pulled a gun on someone for using her sister's name. She had blinked it off to eat food. Terra Three was wild. She was Scrat on crack. How would she be able to do all those planned things, if she could barely contain her actions?

Playing an idiot had gone well with the Doctor and Martha. That would help, maybe. She liked that. Terra liked pretending to be an idiot. It was freeing. It was relaxing. It was a challenge that she was eager to try.

But with Groot...who seemed to know when Terra was faking...to Rebel who was by Terra's side no matter what...Terra didn't want to fake around them.

Did that make it a conscious choice? Her own personality could be faked like that. What was that supposed to mean? Granted, it wasn't like she hadn't been faking before. Lied about herself so people had no idea what she was really like. She hid it all the time.

Let the record show, she was thinking this as she sat upside down on a couch, eating from a bowl of extra butter and salt and M&M popcorn. Oh yeah, hardcore liar right there.

On the flip side of the hall, the Doctor and Martha were settling fine. The Doctor had found a workshop room. Apparently this place had an unknowable amount of floors and rooms, and new ones were added all the time. Terra compared it to the TARDIS and the prison from God Complex. The Doctor was working on the device that blew up chickens.

Martha was doing Martha things. There was a lot to do around here. A bowling alley, movie theatre, library, garden, lots of places for hobbies. It was no TARDIS but it was lovely.

They had gone to the West Dremlins house again. Groot had seen the paint in the picture, instantly knowing it was a brand of cartoon paint that was just really special on keeping the rainbow looking like a rainbow. So not full of skittles... Terra loved it.

When Terra finished her day with her planning, she met up with Groot at the dining hall. She talked shop with GARTH. She let herself enjoy then Haven.

Everything was going smoothly.

Which is of course, when the Doctor's device started going off.

==ROTF==

They didn't often leave from the Haven. GARTH had said it was unlikely for the Angels to send them back twice.

Terra remembered Time of Angels so she knew GARTH was right. They would kill you the second time.

The Doctor came to Terra in excitement. She'd been in the movie theatre, watching MCU movies (the ones from Terra's home, funny enough) with Groot (Groot always cried when Bucky fell from the train). Groot always hid themselves away when the Doctor was coming around. The Doctor told her about the machine going off.

Terra would find the eggs later.

They found Martha in the library, excitedly rushing to bring her out onto the streets of 1969.

Rebel was excited just being outside.

They followed his little machine through the streets. It felt good for Terra to be running in the streets. Yeah it was mostly skipping or hopping, she still loved it.

Terra spun in a jump, hopping into a puddle. The water splashed up, almost hitting Martha.

"You like jumping in those." Martha noted.

"It's always fun to jump in puddles." Terra excused. "It's like- it's like I've got all those bits that remember how to be a kid. Another puddle!" Terra rushed to it. Rebel chased after just as excited. The dog didn't jump into them as much as bathe in it.

Martha watched as Terra and Rebel jumped into another puddle. The Doctor watched as well, with a completely different mindset. He was happy for her. He hadn't known this Terra for long, but he was starting to see the parts of her that hadn't changed.

She still swore a lot. If you caught her unaware, she'd spit out the craziest slew of swears he'd ever heard. She had asked a lot of questions about his timey-wimey detector.

His name for it.

It was honestly sad.

Terra's opinion, not the Doctor's.

As they all walked down the alleyway, led there by the timey-wimey detector's sensor, an alarm went off on it. Terra came back from her latest puddle to their side.

A man appeared in the alley. He landed on the floor, tumbling back against the wall. To an outside eye it would look like something had dropped him. The man gripped his head, spun for a loop at the drop.

"Welcome." The Doctor greeted.

The man blinked up at them, still dazed. "Where am I?"

"1969!" Terra cheered. She leapt up onto the railings, dangling herself over it. Her hair draped down it. "It gets better, I'm told."

"It's not bad." The Doctor agreed. "You've got the moon landing to look forward to."

Terra giggled. Neil Armstrong's foot.

"Oh, the moon landing's brilliant." Martha nodded her head, smiling thinly with an opinion she didn't feel. "We went four times, back when we had transport." She narrowed her eyes at the Doctor, still smiling.

"Working on it." The Doctor told her.

"He's doing his very best." Terra explained.

"How did I get here?" The man asked, looking around the alley in confusion. It was indeed not the police station he had thought it was. He had plenty of reason to be confused.

"The same way we did. The touch of an angel." The Doctor explained. Terra uncurled from the handrail, leaning against it instead. "Same one, probably, since you ended up in the same year. No, no. No, no, no, don't get up." The Doctor helped Billy back to the floor, taking a space by his side.

If Terra filled up the void of space beside Martha, then that was her prerogative.

"Time travel without a capsule. Nasty. Catch your breath. Don't go swimming for half an hour." The Doctor instructed all in one breath.

"I don't. I can't." Billy strained to say. He was still thrown by the shift in time.

"Fascinating race, the Weeping Angels." The Doctor got started on his rant.

Apparently, he had spent a lot of his time investigating

"The only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. No mess, no fuss, they just zap you into the past and let you live to death. The rest of your life used up and blown away in the blink of an eye." The Doctor explained. "You die in the past, and in the present they consume the energy of all the days you might have had. All your stolen moments. They're creatures of the abstract. They live off potential energy."

"Weeping Angels eat time, I keep telling you." Terra reminded him.

"It's not like that." The Doctor shook his head.

"You just don't like how un-dramatic it sounds." Terra teased.

"Well...Yes." The Doctor admitted.

"What in God's name are you talking about?" Billy asked.

"Trust me. Just nod when they stop for breath." Martha advised.

"Tracked you down with this." The Doctor held up his odd looking contraption. It was mostly a lunchbox with an empty reel and other bits and baubles. A tiny blue light was blinking on it. "This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at thirty paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow."

"The eggs aren't even that good. You would think they taste great cause it's a boiled egg, eggs usually taste good. But they just taste like egg salad and not the egg salad that the Wiggles would sing about. No...they sang about fruit salad. Still! The boiled eggs are bad." Terra babbled. "But the exploded hen, somehow, tasted great. Even if he could only explode the one before he got banned from the animal farm."

"I don't understand. Where am I?" Billy asked them.

"1969, like he says." Martha explained calmly.

"Normally, I'd offer you a lift home, but somebody nicked my motor." The Doctor offered. "So I need you to take a message to Sally Sparrow. And I'm sorry, Billy. I am very, very sorry. It's going to take you a while."

They waited a few more minutes to get Billy adjusted without keeling over. The four of them trekked back

"We've got a place for you!" Terra assured him. "It'll get you settled in here real nice. They've got quesadillas with spicy salsa! And sugar cookies."

"You've gotten addicted to spicy food." The Doctor commented.

"Not addicted, just obsessed. There's a difference." Terra clarified. She'd had this argument a few times since she started eating sugar cookies. Could she help it that they were the best tasting snacks in existence? "Sugar, sugar, sugar butter, sugar butter, sugar butter flour. Sugar butter flour."

Rebel howled. He did that a lot whenever Terra started singing. Usually alone up in her room. The Doctor watched the mini-performance with delight. Martha and Billy watched in confusion.

"Sugar butter flour, sugar butter flour. My hands pluck the things I know that I'll need." She sang, reaching down for his paws. Rebel gladly let her hold them. "I take the sugar and butter from the pantry."

Terra let go of Rebel's hands, beginning to twirl around her dog as the group kept walking up the alleyway.

"What's inside? Everyone wants to know what's inside! And I always tell them, but I feel more than words can say!" Terra spun as they finally reached the street. "They wanna know what's inside! What's inside! Simple question, so then what's the answer?"

The Doctor started clapping. "Yes, yes. Good performance. Blimey, you spend a lot of time in the music hall."

Terra stopped singing cold. She turned to the Doctor, robotically standing upright. "The where with the what now."

"The music hall." Martha noted. She had been explaining the revolutionary concept of the Haven to Billy. He still wasn't getting most of it. "It's a big hall where they show filmed performances of Broadway or off-Broadway shows. Apparently they love them. I go twice a week- they've got a brilliant Phantom.

"There's a music hall that shows musicals?!" Terra gasped. "And neither of you told me? At least Rebel hasn't betrayed me." Rebel whined. "Traitor! What did you see?...why the ever living sugar would you see Cats?!" Rebel whimpered. "They said 'Cats is the worst thing to happen to cats since dogs?'...and you wanted to fact check? I can respect that."

Rebel perked up, going to lick her hand.

"You give in so easily." The Doctor commented.

"I can't stay mad at his face." Terra motioned to said golden retriever's beaming face. "You two are a different story. How dare you not tell about the music-cal music-hal! And you knew my birthday was coming up!"

"Birthday?" Martha repeated.

"You said birthday?" The Doctor repeated.

Billy realized this was a personal conversation that he was in no state to comment on. Much less invest himself in, as he just met these people five minutes ago.

"Yep! It's in two weeks!" Terra cheered. "And now I know I'm watching so many musicals in that hall..."

==ROTF==

Billy had taken the transition into the Haven very well. GARTH had promised to set him up with a lovely identity in 1969. It was a feature the Haven offered if a person so chose.

(Though placing them in another time period was usually the norm

The timelines are too oddly shaped around Billy Shipton

None of this would work unless Billy Shipton could give Sally Sparrow a message with his final breaths)

GARTH even had it so Billy could work in publication. Mostly security, that could grow into something bigger in time.

Time that Billy Shipton had.

All of it was said and done in two weeks.

Which meant Terra could have her 181st birthday without worrying about that part of the future.

(She could worry about the Vote Saxon posters

Jack's warning about YANA.

And that tiger pit thing. That was a worry too.

The entire Year That Never Was

The Master Himself

Terra could worry about that now

Billy was handled at least!)

She had asked Groot about the music hall. Apparently, Groot was surprised Terra hadn't found it already. It had existed practically since the creation of GARTH.

Stepping into it was like stepping into a classic Broadway theatre. There was grand architecture, golden lighting, cushioned seats that had good elbow room and comfortable seating.

Every theatre kid's dream theatre.

She had the compulsion to watch A Very Potter Musical on it. Groot had laughed when Terra suggested it- Terra assumed it was because they knew about the musical.

(Groot actually knew about Reighley

Anything involving Terra and Reighley was amazing in Groot's eyes)

So Terra was able to celebrate her 181st birthday in a building she'd always wanted to create, watching a musical she could only adore, and sat in a room full of people Terra had given her life to save.

And she knew her next would not be as sweet.

==ROTF==

Groot: 'Are you sure you don't want to come by?'

Drax: 'Right now, that Terra is so new and young. And I know what the next forty years have in store for her. If I see her, I don't trust myself not to stop it.'

Groot: 'Nobody would blame you if you did.'

Groot: 'You know she wouldn't. You could wear a disguise too.'

Drax: 'Yes she would. She would just never say it.'

Drax: 'Because I would tell her everything. I'd tell her in ten years she's going to have the worst day of her life. I'd tell her every year after hurt worse and worse. I'd tell her that she'll have great kids that love her to hell and back. I'd tell her at the end of that decade she'd meet me.'

'That we would be

(delete)

'That we'd start

(delete)

Drax: 'That I'm a lovesick idiot who couldn't pass up the chance to warn her, jumping ahead twenty years in her personal timeline to keep her safe from her future like she does for everyone else.'

Drax: 'So no. I'm not going to her birthday party.'

Groot: 'Drax it's not going to be like that'

Drax: 'Send Gamora if you're so eager to have someone there. She'd love it just the same.'

Groot: 'Maybe she'd want those twenty years too'

Groot: 'And Terra hates it when Gamora sees the third one. It's humiliating.'

==ROTF==

They filmed the Easter Eggs month two on their stay in the Haven.

Terra had been excited. Another resident of Haven was a film major before coming to the Haven. He was eager to film the Easter Eggs- apparently they had been the reason he got into film in the first place before needing to run away from a toxic relationship.

The studio was on another floor of the Haven. The Doctor appreciated that apparently at some point in the future Terra would figure out Time Lord Science. The mere idea of it made him giddy every time.

Martha was working alongside Richie- the film major/camera guy- to make sure it was all ready.

Terra straightened her bowtie. "Is it crooked? I keep thinking it's crooked."

"It's not crooked. You're fine." The Doctor dismissed. He settled into the seat.

Terra fidgeted in her's. "This video has to be perfect. I don't want to make a bad impression on them."

"I think you've given her a great impression with your rainbow art." The Doctor pointed out.

"But this is a real conversation." Terra countered. The Doctor motioned to the auto cue. "You know what I mean."

Terra figured Groot would understand her worry. Or her sister. Nah...better not talk to her sister when she's like this.

The Doctor reached over, checking the tie. Terra sat up straighter for him to check. He gave it a small tweak. "There. Perfect. You were right, just needed a quick tilt."

Terra breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew it. This body hasn't been wrong yet."

The Doctor didn't dismiss her of that. In all honesty, she wasn't wrong. The Doctor excused it that some Time Lord regenerations were more skilled in premonition than others.

"Alright!" Richie clapped for attention. "We're all good to go." He positioned himself behind the camera. "Martha, start the autocue." Martha flipped the switch on it.

Terra sat up straight. She whispered 'Bewegen sie nicht' to Rebel. The dog sat upright, still at Terra's side.

"Three...two..." Richie pointed at them

"The Doctor, and Terra." Martha read off.

Since they had better tech, Richie said they could easily edit out Martha and Richie's speech.

"Who're the Doctor and Terra?" Said Richie, in place of Larry.

"He's the Doctor, and she's Terra." Said Martha for Sally.

"Yup. That's me." The Doctor held up a hand.

"Aloha!" Terra waved. "Oh, and this is my son, Rebel!"

The dog popped up in frame. He barked at the camera.

"Don't mind him. He's on a sugar high!" Terra explained.

"Okay, that was scary." Martha read off.

"No, it sounds like he's replying, but he always says that." Richie recited.

"Yes, I do." The Doctor nodded.

"And that." Richie recited.

"Yup. And this." The Doctor grinned.

"Then she says-"

"This too!" Terra beamed.

"They can hear us. Oh, my God, you can really hear us?" Martha read off.

"Of course they can't hear us. Look, I've got a transcript. See? Everything they say. Yup, that's me. Yes, I do. Yup, and this. This too. Next it's-"

"Are you going to read out the whole thing?" The Doctor noted.

"Sorry." Richie replied for Larry.

"Don't mind him. He's always rude." Terra assured the camera.

"You are too!"

"You're just jealous I'm ginger." Terra preened.

"Who are you?" Sally pressed.

"We're time travellers. Or we were. We're stuck in 1969." The Doctor explained.

Martha held the script in her first, storming into the stage. "We're stuck. All of space and time, they promised me. She managed to get us someplace good but that doesn't mean I want to be bunking in 1969 forever!"

"Martha." The Doctor scolded lightly. He pointed to the film equipment. Though Richie knew it was

Martha looked down, flustered. "Sorry." She walked back out of frame. Her cheeks going a dark red, she pulled the script up for her to continue reading.

"You love the Haven. Don't deny it." Terra noted.

"It's not time travel." Martha countered.

"You've got me." Terra admitted.

"I've seen this bit before." Sally noted.

"Quite possibly." The Doctor mused.

"Reruns, everyone loves them!" Terra cheered with a cheesy thumb-up.

"1969, that's where you're talking from?" Sally asked.

The Doctor blew out a breath. "Afraid so."

"But you're replying to me. You can't know exactly what I'm going to say, forty years before I say it." Sally left her question vague.

"Thirty eight years, three months and-" Terra pulled back her sleeve to check her watch. "-five days. The hours are a bit iffy."

"I'm getting this down. I'm writing in your bits." Richie as Larry stated.

"How? How is this possible? Tell me." Martha as Sally commanded.

"Not so fast."

"People don't understand time. It's not what you think it is." The Doctor cautioned.

"Then what is it?"

"Complicated." The Doctor stressed.

"Why'd you have to go-" Terra hummed.

"Tell me."

"Very complicated." The Doctor stressed again.

"I'm clever and I'm listening. And don't patronise me because people have died, and I'm not happy. Tell me." Sally ordered. Martha gave a look that she was actually impressed by that.

"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey stuff." The Doctor explained.

Terra wished he had been reading that off the cue.

Actually no she didn't because that would make it less funny.

"Yeah, I've seen this bit before. You said that sentence got away from you." Sally stated.

"It got away from me, yeah." The Doctor mused.

Terra was already starting to giggle.

"Then Terra will laugh at the Doctor, and say she can't believe those words came out of his mouth."

"Those- those words just came from your mouth. Without prompting. I- I love it!" Terra laughed.

"Next thing you're going to say is, 'well you both can stop laughing."

"Well you both can stop laughing. It wasn't that funny." The Doctor told Terra, with a scolding look towards the camera. 'One day I'll live this down.'

Terra laughed harder.

"Then 'well I can hear you'."

"Well, I can hear you." The Doctor stated.

"This isn't possible." Sally dismissed.

"No. It's brilliant!" Richie as Larry laughed. Or maybe that was actually Richie still buzzed he was helping in this. The world may never know.

"Well, not hear you, exactly, but I know everything you're going to say." The Doctor corrected.

"Always gives me the shivers, that bit." Larry noted.

"How can you know what I'm going to say?" Sally asked.

Terra sat up straight. Her arms froze in a robot position in front of her. She turned her head towards where Larry would be- on the Doctor's right. "Turn left." Terra stated, sounding like a GPS.

"What does she mean by look to your left? I've written tons about that on the forums. I think it's a political statement." Larry explained.

"She means you. What are you doing?" Sally asked.

"I'm writing in your bits. That way I've got a complete transcript of the whole conversation. Wait until this hits the net. This will explode the egg forums." Richie was doing a perfect job reading that. Apparently, knowing about the Easter Eggs in advance made it all the better for performance.

"I've got a copy of the finished transcript. It's on our autocue." The Doctor explained.

"It's got colors!" Terra cheered. "Mine are pink, cause duh." She gestured to her dress. "And his are white, cause they said the blue I wanted to use wouldn't show well."

"How can you have a copy of the finished transcript? It's still being written." Sally

"I told you. We're time travellers. We got it in the future." The Doctor explained.

"Okay, let me get my head round this. You're reading aloud from a transcript of a conversation you're still having." Sally explained. Martha let out a sigh, rubbing at her head. In rehearsals between her and Terra, this bit always messed with her head.

"Yeah. Wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey." The Doctor repeated.

"He takes the best notes!" Terra praised.

"Hold on, was that for me?" Larry asked.

"Of course it was. Never mind that. You can do shorthand?"

"So?"

"What matters is, we can communicate." The Doctor stressed. "We have got big problems now. They have taken the blue box, haven't they? The angels have the phone box."

"The angels have the phone box. That's my favorite, I've got it on a t-shirt." Larry admitted.

"I want one! Give me the details." Terra asked.

"Well it's made by a friend. His user-"

"Write it on a note. I'll look at it later." Terra waved her hand in dismissal. She'd seen the name on a notecard in the folder. She made a note on her phone later to look him up. She wanted that shirt, dammit. Without Angels imaged on it so she could wear it around the Haven without putting the people inside at risk.

"What do you mean, angels? You mean those statue things?" Sally asked.

"Creatures from another world." The Doctor warned.

"But they're just statues." Sally argued.

"Duh. You're not blinking right now." Terra explained.

"What does that mean?"

"The lonely assassins, they used to be called." The Doctor began. Terra reached down to scratch Rebel's head. The dog lowered his head onto her thigh, sending mental waves of concern. Terra could only give assurances that they would never step inside the Haven. "No one quite knows where they came from, but they're as old as the universe, or very nearly, and they have survived this long because they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved. They are quantum-locked. They don't exist when they're being observed. The moment they are seen by any other living creature, they freeze into rock. No choice. It's a fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing, they literally turn to stone. And you can't kill a stone. Of course, a stone can't kill you either. But then you turn your head away, then you blink, and oh yes it can."

Martha almost missed her cue. "Don't take your eyes off that."

She looked around the room. As if her mentioning an Angel had summoned it.

They were all lucky Sally hadn't included any photos in her folder.

"That's why they cover their eyes." Terra copied the motion over her own face. "They're not weeping. They can't risk looking at each other." She lowered her hands as the Doctor explained. She was acting out his instructions, practically. "Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. They can never be seen. The loneliest creatures in the universe. And I'm sorry. I am very, very sorry. It's up to you now."

"What am I supposed to do?" Sally asked.

"The blue box, it's my time machine." Terra cleared her throat. "Our time machine. There is a world of time energy in there they could feast on forever, but the damage they could do could switch off the sun. You have got to send it back to me."

"How? How?"

Terra held up her hands. "We're so sorry. There's nothing left."

"There's no more from you on the transcript, that's the last we've got." The Doctor clarified. "I don't know what stopped you talking, but I can guess. They're coming. The angels are coming for you. But listen, your life could depend on this. Don't blink. Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink. Good luck."

Richie turned off the camera. For the first time in all of this, there was no giddy smile on his face. "What now?"

"We wait." The Doctor told him. "Right now, that's all we can do."

And wait they did.

Funny how whenever these Angels showed up, there was a lot of waiting around.

==ROTF==

The TARDIS came back that night.

'Where are we going next?' Terra mentally asked, as Martha went about packing up her stuff.

'Well that jump means she needs a bit of a recharge...' The Doctor replied to a now stunned silent Terra. 'Quick hop to Cardiff will put her right.'

Terra couldn't take any chances.

She ordered Rebel Bewegen sie nicht at the Haven.

She had already lost her damn mind.

She was not losing him too.

==ROTF==

AN: What I always thought was great about Blink was that whatever the lives of the Doctor and Martha were completely up for interpretation. How I chose to interpret it was that Terra built a space for it!

I don't know if I explained properly what all of the Haven was in the chapter. Essentially it's a bastardization of God Complex place (it picks up the people who go there on a by-need basis, in this case it's their fears bringing them a safe space), the magic door concept from Girl in the Fireplace was chosen for the front door but the doors are more like they are in My Little Pony: Equestria Girls because the doors not only move in time but in reality like Terra does, and the interior was a lot like a TARDIS. Infinite space, infinite rooms, and can definitely travel in time.

(If I implied it stays in one time, yeah that's a lie purely for the Doctor's sake. GARTH is a good AI that knows his boss man can retrofit him into a toaster.)

As explained, most of the residents of the Haven are in need of the help it can provide. They are from all the realities Terra has been to, as she introduced the Haven to it. If she built a door- a real, physical door- the Haven could access that reality so people could escape inside it.

If you have any more questions, I'm happy to answer them! I've been waiting to write this place since I first started writing Terra at all.

And Yes. I was so cruel as to leave literally no time between Blink and Utopia. Terra Three got her rest, time to work for a living.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha